In the name of mother

A batch of students of Sociology at St Joseph’s Arts and Science College turned one of their college projects into a heart-warming  tribute to their mothers — through an anthology of short essays compiled into a book titled Momitude.

“Mothers play one of the most significant roles in the family and in a larger social context. They often submerge their own lives, personal wants and even careers in favour of their children and families. In fact motherhood is often an endless and even thankless job that goes on 24/7 without a break.This is a small token of appreciation of the wonderful work moms do and a great way of students closely interacting with their mothers, researching their past and understanding more deeply where their mothers are coming from and what their growing years were like,” says Berin Lukas, Head of the Sociology Department.

The compilation of short essays provides an interesting glimpse into the lives and background of mothers from different walks of life and different parts of the country. Some come from the hills of Darjeeling, some from the rural coast, some from well-heeled affluent families, some uneducated and some struggled with financial difficulties.

But the common thread running through the stories is the affection and pride with which the students talk about their mothers through their essays. They delve into her roots, her birthplace, and a period of her young adulthood where she becomes more of an individual and less of ‘mom’.

Written with an endearing simplicity, the collection of ‘momitudes’ give the reader an insight into the life of women who are sometimes quite extraordinary and who would otherwise would have remained anonymous and unknown. The book is almost entirely student driven, is meant for private circulation in the college and an interesting read — a glimpse into society and family life.